Independent participatory media for Iran

Five jailed Iranian activists issued a statement marking Human Rights Day on December 10, commenting on the state of human rights in Iran.

Abdolfattah Soltani, Saeed Madani, Mehdi Khodayi, Keyvan Samimi and Saeed Razavi issued a statement commending “the relative efforts of the Iranian administration toward improving the situation” in Iran. The expressed support for “the return of expelled professors and students to universities”, “the drafting of a citizen’s bill of rights”, “efforts to remedy environmental problems” and “the approval of a comprehensive plan for free access to information.”

They go on to add, however, that due to the power structure in the Islamic Republic and the concentration of so much power in unelected and unaccountable institutions, human rights violations continue in such a manner that one cannot take heart in the few achievements of this government.

The signatories cite violations of due and fair process, a rise in the issuance and execution of unjust sentences and the failure to adhere to certain sections of the Islamic Penal Code that would lead to the release of many prisoners (namely Article 134 of the Code) as some of the main examples of human rights violation.

The statement also refers to the actions of plainclothes morality and hijab enforcers as a sign of the intensification of systematic violence and discrimination against women, another example of human rights violations.

The five activists urge the government to make every effort to take effective steps to end the continued systematic violation of human rights in Iran.